ILLINOISDEPARTMENTOF NATURAL RESOURCES

J.B. Pritzker,
Governor|illinois.gov

Aquatic Organisms

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Articles Found: 99

An underwater view of large walls of invasive plants overtaking native vegetation restricting open water space for aquatic organisms to swim.

Be a Hero—Transport Zero

August 1, 2025 by Kevin Irons, Brian Schoenung

Aquatic Organisms | Habitat Management or Enhancement

Two people stand in a boat offshore from Chicago in Lake Michigan. The individuals hold up small net traps to catch crayfish. The Chicago skyline is on the horizon line in the far distance. A bright blue sky is overhead.

Appreciating Crayfish in Illinois

August 1, 2025 by Reuben Keller

Aquatic Organisms | Invasive Species | Research

A crayfish standing in a grassy area with its pinchers up ready to defend itself.

Mudbugs Matter: Our freshwater heroes

August 1, 2025 by Dusty Swedberg

Aquatic Organisms | Crayfish | Pond | Rivers and Lakes

A researcher sits in a boat. She holds up a small, long fish in a small net. On her lap is a log book for recording data. In the background is a green grassy shoreline.

Jawless Fish With Suction Cups, Meet the Lamprey

August 1, 2025 by Rebekah Anderson

Aquatic Organisms | Endangered and Threatened Species | Fish | Rivers and Lakes

Many white, gray fish leap out of a fresh water river. Three people stand on a metal boat. One man and one woman use nets on long metal rods to net the fish. In the background is a shoreline filled with green vegetation and trees.

Monitoring to Manage: The Multi-Agency Approach to Invasive Carp in Illinois

August 1, 2025 by Brandon Harris, Michael Spear, James T. Lamer, Andrya L. Whitten Harris

Aquatic Organisms

A group of people stand together on a wooden dock over the shoreline of a freshwater lake. On either side of the dock is a metal boat filled with wooden boxes. In the background is a woodland with a road winding through down to the dock.

Building Better Catfish Habitat One Nest Box at a Time

August 1, 2025 by Danielle Shubat, Eden Effert-Fanta

Aquatic Organisms | Fish | Habitat Management or Enhancement | Pond | Research | Rivers and Lakes

A gray fish jumps up a small waterfall. In the background is a stream bank.

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the State of Illinois: Working together to better the Lake Michigan fishery

May 1, 2025 by Christina Contreras Stone, Lauren Holbrook

Aquatic Organisms | Fish | Fishing | Regulations | Rivers and Lakes

A green, brown and white frog sitting on the ground. In the background is green vegetation.

Listening to the Wetlands: How the STL FrogWatch Chapter is giving frogs—and wetlands—a voice

May 1, 2025 by Jessica Mohlman

Aquatic Organisms | Frogs and Toads | Volunteers | Wetland

A bright blue partly cloudy sky overhead is reflected in the large Mississippi river below. Small islands with trees and vegetation are in the foreground. In the background, limestone bluffs are framed by green vegetation.

Fisheries Management in the Mississippi River Basin

May 1, 2025 by Brian Schoenung

Aquatic Organisms | Fish | Fishing | Regulations | Rivers and Lakes

A group of people sitting around tables in a semi circle shaped conference room with large windows on one side. People are playing board games on the tables.

FinSpan & Freshwaters: A Game-changer for river conservation

May 1, 2025 by Jessica Mohlman

Aquatic Organisms | Rivers and Lakes | Water

Five large silver salmon laying on a concrete surface.

The Fascinating Journey of Coho Salmon in the Great Lakes

May 1, 2025 by Kayleigh Smith

Aquatic Organisms | Fish | Fishing

Two people fish from a wooden dock on a lake. In the background is a glorious yellow, orange, and pink sunset against a bright blue sky.

Spring Crappie Fishing Tips for Beginners: Where to Fish and What Lures to Use

May 1, 2025 by Wes Littlefield

Aquatic Organisms | Fishing

A young boy sits on the grassy bank of a pond and holds a fishing rod and reel in his hand. The fishing line has been cast, and now the boy is watching to see if a fish bites.

Bluegill Fishing in Illinois: The perfect fish to introduce youngsters to angling

May 1, 2025 by Steven Beltran

Aquatic Organisms | Fisheries Pick | Fishing

A brown and white bald eagle soars on a sunny winter day. In the background are tree branches. On the top right, a logo celebrating Illinois Department of Natural Resources being established for 100 years overlays the image of the eagle.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Centennial as a State Agency: 1925–2025

February 3, 2025 by Chris Young

Aquatic Organisms | Land | People | Wildlife | 100th Anniversary | History of Conservation

A puddle of water is all that remains to a pond that dried up. Tall grasses make up the pond shoreline against a few trees in the background. A bright blue partly cloudy sky is overhead.

Tales From Beneath the Surface

February 3, 2025 by Kathy Andrews Wright

Aquatic Organisms | Wildlife | Mammals | Rivers and Lakes

A tan and white freshwater mussel nestled in a sandy river bed.

Finding the Elusive Salamander Mussel Alive in Illinois After a Century in Obscurity

February 3, 2025 by Sarah Douglass, Mark Davis

Aquatic Organisms | People | Research | Endangered and Threatened Species | Mussels | Research | Rivers and Lakes

Softshell turtles come in a range of colors from light tan to deep brown and even orangish yellow like this yearling smooth softshell. It is described as xanthic due to an abundance of xanthophores (cells in the skin that contain yellow pigment.) 

Smooth Softshell Turtles: A Focal Species of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan

February 3, 2025 by Laura Kammin

Aquatic Organisms | Aquatic Organism | Turtle

An angler holds up a large tan fish in front of his torso with both of his hands. In the background is a freshwater lake and a shoreline filled with lush green trees and shrubs against a bright blue sky.

Illinois’ Prairie Bonefish – Carp on the Fly

February 3, 2025 by Tom Yocom

Aquatic Organisms | Recreation | Fishing | Rivers and Lakes

A group of high school aged students stand together in two rows. The teacher stands to the right of the students in the second back row.

Voices for the Future: Everyone Can Make a Difference

February 3, 2025 by Tristin Bednar, Madelynn Grampp, Megan Wiechmann

Aquatic Organisms | Land | People | Wildlife | Regulations | Youth

A young African American boy holds a fishing rod and reel in his right hand and holds up a small green fish caught on the line in his left hand. In the background is a grassy area surrounded by trees against a partly cloudy bright blue sky.

A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing Illinois: Finding Prairie State Fishing Spots

February 3, 2025 by Wes Littlefield

Aquatic Organisms | Recreation | Fishing

Explore Our Family of Websites

A link the Wildlife Illinois web site with advertisements for its four sections: Help, Sightings, Wildlife Identification, and Prevent Problems.
A link the Hunt Illinois web site.
A link the CICADA web site.
A link the Living with White-tailed Deer web site with advertisements for its three sections: ecology, management, and history.